


Tuning

by yeaka



Category: Star Trek, Star Trek: Alternate Original Series (Movies)
Genre: Gen, Kid Fic, M/M, Vignette
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-04-13
Updated: 2015-04-13
Packaged: 2018-03-22 18:47:11
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 958
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/3739495
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/yeaka/pseuds/yeaka
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Before they’re old enough to fly, Spock makes adjustments to fit Jim in his life.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Tuning

**Author's Note:**

> A/N: Drabble for michelliverse’s “kid Kirk lives on Vulcan with Spock's family” request on [my tumblr](http://yeaka.tumblr.com/).
> 
> Disclaimer: I don’t own Star Trek or any of its contents, and I’m not making any money off this.

Every time Jim comes, he stays a little longer. It gets to the point where they make him up a room across the hall from Spock’s, painted a bright blue like most of Earth and filled with human things, because when Spock’s father suggests they provide him with the ‘Vulcan experience,’ Spock’s mother shoots him that look that says: ‘No, and don’t you bother asking again.’

When Jim shows up on the doorstep, loaded with bags—he’ll be living with them for the summer; not _staying_ ; _living_ , like a better brother than Sybok ever was—Spock lifts his hand in the proper solute. Jim, as usual, and to Spock’s secret delight, lunges forward to wrap him in a hug. Jim’s warm and soft but a little bonier than last time, filling Spock’s arms more than he remembers. They’re both growing. Jim’s blond hair has turned brown around the base, but his eyes are the same shade they always were. Spock never forgets it. 

Jim lingers long enough for that familiar spark of _something_ between them: a connection that overruns Spock’s touch-telepathy. For one dizzying moment, his world is filled with _Jim_ : all of Jim’s memories, and hopes and dreams. 

Then Jim pulls away with his big, broad, toothy smile, and he clutches Spock’s hand in his and promises, “We’re going to have so much fun.” His face is inordinately pink, like Spock’s mother’s. Especially when he’s flushed from the heat, he looks so extraterrestrial. But Spock likes that: it reminds him of the stars, and all the places they’ll visit when they’re old. 

They come into the home, Spock helping to carry as much as he can, and his parents taking the rest. They’ve lowered their home’s temperature somewhat to accommodate—summers on Vulcan are particularly stifling—but Vulcan homes can only go so low. Spock’s father believes that if Jim is to continue staying with them when his mother’s off alternately discovery and saving the galaxy, he’ll have to adapt. Spock likes Jim just the way he is, humanisms and all, but he’d never say that aloud. 

Jim loves his new room. Of course he does—he loves _everything_ : so emotive. He can smile over the smallest things. He can laugh over just about anything. He says, “I love the colour,” and Spock doesn’t admit that he picked it. 

They climb onto Jim’s bed when Spock’s parents have left, and Spock pulls a number of datapads out of Jim’s backpack, full of pre-loaded texts. They’re too young to _require_ intensive study over summer breaks, but they’re both ambitious and thirsty for knowledge. For all of Jim’s fun, he’s _smart_ , too. He wants to be a captain someday. He probably will be.

But first he pulls one of those strange paper leaflets he likes out of the back pouch, and he holds up the jarring cover to say, “I brought those comics I told you about last time. I really think you’ll like them.” Before Spock can ask why, Jim’s fallen onto his stomach and opened up the ‘comic book.’ 

The array of clashing, bright artwork paneled into different scenes is undoubtedly: “Fascinating.” Jim snorts, and Spock can feel his cheeks turning a little green at the reaction. Jim once said if Spock were a ‘superhero,’ that would be his catchphrase. But when Spock asked if he should stop, Jim said _“no, it’s cute,”_ so Spock’s never stopped. 

Lying down beside Jim, Spock eyes the art, focused more on the character’s expressions than the blocky letters of their dialogue. At first, the sequence of events doesn’t make much sense to him, but then he remembers that humans read in a different direction, and he adjusts accordingly. Just when he’s finished observing the two open pages, Jim flips to the next set. But Spock’s only halfway through them before Jim starts rubbing his forehead and shifting, rolling up his sleeves. Finally, he inevitably complains, “It’s too _hot_ on Vulcan.”

It’s too cold on Earth. 

But Spock was waiting for this. 

He says, “Computer, adjust temperature to file James T.” His home computer beeps in response, having picked up his keywords, and a slight whirring sound indicates the working machinery. He purposely doesn’t look sideways at Jim, because he can already feel Jim staring at him. He’d meant to rename the preset program—Earth, American-normal—before Jim arrived, but under the weight of his own studies, he’d forgotten. The computer makes another beeping sound when it’s complied and the room’s amply adjusted. 

Spock can feel the change instantly, and he finally has to look at Jim to ask, “May I borrow one of your blankets?”

“They’re your blankets,” Jim says, laughing, his grin so wide that his eyes are creased. “You made a computer program for me?”

“I saved up the allowance given to me by my mother and purchased an additional application for your room,” Spock corrects. As good as he is with computers, he isn’t quite at the level of messing around with his home’s central temperature system. And if he’d done that, he would’ve had to tell his parents. Jim’s already sitting up and shuffling back against the pillows so he isn’t pinning down the blankets anymore.

Spock follows and pulls them up over him, bundling up tight. It’s easier for him to don more covers to keep warm than it is for Jim to shed his skin to keep cool. Next to one another against the Earth-style wooden headboard, Jim grabs the comic book and puts it across his lap. 

Spock resists leaning his head on Jim’s shoulder for precisely five pages. Then he gives in to nestling against Jim’s body heat and the comfort that is _James Kirk_ : just one more special secret between them.


End file.
